Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus that processes sheets.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a sheet processing apparatus that processes sheets is known. Concrete examples of the processes on sheets are a staple binding process (stapling) for binding a plurality of sheets using a staple, a stapleless binding process (stapleless stapling) for crimping a plurality of sheets to bind them without using a staple, and a punching process for making a punch hole on sheets, etc. These processes are referred to as “sheet processes”.
As one example of the sheet processing apparatus, the apparatus is connected to a printing apparatus that prints an image on sheets and is used. When the sheet processing apparatus is connected to the printing apparatus, the sheet processing apparatus is connected to a down-stream side of the printing apparatus in a sheet conveyance direction. The sheet processing apparatus receives the sheets on which the image is printed from the printing apparatus, and executes the sheet process on the sheets.
Further, the sheet processing apparatus that is capable of not only processing sheets conveyed from the printing apparatus but also processing sheets set directly on the sheet processing apparatus by a user is known. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-162590 discusses an insertion opening into which sheets to be processed are inserted, and a sheet processing apparatus that executes a sheet process on the sheets inserted into the insertion opening.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-003005 discusses a printing system that includes a function of executing a sheet process associated with image printing performed by a printing apparatus, and a function of executing a sheet process unassociated with image printing performed by the printing apparatus. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-003005 discusses that when a predetermined time passes with sheets being set on a sheet feeding unit of the printing system, conveyance of the sheets from the sheet feeding unit is automatically started and the sheet process unassociated with the printing is executed. Further, the predetermined time can be set to any time.
As stated above, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-162590 discusses the insertion opening into which sheets to be processed are inserted, and the sheet processing apparatus that executes the sheet process on the sheets inserted into the insertion opening. However, since the sheet process discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-162590 is executed by user's pressing of a button, it requires a troublesome work to press the button. To solve this problem, a constitution such that the sheet process is automatically executed in response to the insertion of sheets into the insertion opening is considered.
However, the immediate execution of the sheet process in response to the insertion of the sheets into the insertion opening increases the probability of a failure such that the sheet process is executed on unintended places of the sheets in a case where an unaccustomed user does a work. On the other hand, when the sheet process is executed after a brief interval from the insertion of the sheets into the insertion opening, a waiting time is generated in each sheet process, and thus a working time is unnecessarily long for a skillful user.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-003005 discusses that a time until start of the conveyance of the sheets set on the sheet feeding unit is variably set, but does not discuss that a time until start of execution of the sheet process on sheets inserted into the insertion opening is variably set.